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One Second Ahead: Enhance Your Performance at Work with Mindfulness
Researchers have found that the accelerated pace of modern office life is taking its toll on productivity, employee engagement, creativity and well-being. Faced with a relentless flood of information and distractions, our brains try to process everything at once increasing our stress, decreasing our effectiveness and negatively impacting our performance.
Ironically, we have become too overworked, unfocused, and busy to stop and ask ourselves the most important question: What can we do to break the cycle of being constantly under pressure, always-on, overloaded with information and in environments filled with distractions? Do we need to accept this as the new workplace reality and continue to survive rather than thrive in modern day work environments? Thankfully, the answer is no. In their new book, ONE SECOND AHEAD: Enhance Your Performance at Work with Mindfulness (Palgrave Macmillan; November 2015), Rasmus Hougaard, Jacqueline Carter, and Gillian Coutts demonstrate that it is possible to train the brain to respond differently to today's constant pressures and distraction. All it takes is one second.
They propose that we need to learn to work differently so we are more focused, calm and have less clutter in our mind so we can better manage our time and attention. What if we could hit the 'pause' button on our day, step back, and meet challenges with a sense of clarity and purpose? And what if there was a way not just of 'getting things done,' but ensuring that what does get done are the right things to do?
Based on a program in corporate mindfulness designed by Hougaard and the partners of The Potential Project, One Second Ahead provides practical tools and techniques as well as real-world examples and lessons from organizations that have implemented mindfulness on a large scale. Thoroughly tested in a diverse range of industries, this program has resulted in measurable increases in productivity, effectiveness, and job satisfaction.
With the new mindset proposed in One Second Ahead, readers will be able to put an end to ineffective multitasking, unproductive meetings, poor communication, and other unhealthy workplace behaviors by applying mindfulness to every day work life.
All too often, we think that being mindful requires engaging in a special activity like meditation or yoga. Sure, these activities are beneficial and important to train the mind, but there are many simple things we can do to be mindful all day long. One Second Ahead is a handbook for more mindful work that offers:
• Practical, easy to apply, tools and techniques to enhance performance and effectiveness in day to day work activities such as meetings, emails, communication, planning, creativity and more
• Real-world stories of how mindfulness changed the workdays of leaders and front line employees
• Tips for cultivating mental strategies and routines that can reduce clutter, increase focus, and rewire your brain to enhance presence, patience, kindness and other valuable mind states
• Simple yet detailed step-by-step instructions for a more systematic approach to mindfulness training to enhance focus and awareness
• Guidelines for a 10-minute-per-day mindfulness program that can reshape your life both at work and at home;
• A reproducible planning worksheet and further resources in the Appendix.
One Second Ahead can transform daily work life by helping individuals and teams realize more of their potential through greater focus and awareness. The tools and techniques in this book can transform individual and organizational performance one mind at a time.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2015
103 people are currently reading
707 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 18, 2016
Some very interesting concepts - reminds me a great deal of other mindfulness writing (on zen buddhism, for example). This English edition could benefit from some copy-editing. Overall, a very useful work.
September 11, 2016
This book was interesting. It complemented "Peace in Every Step" which also spoke of mindfulness. I was surprised and disappointed by all the typos in the book. It could have benefited from another round of careful editing.
July 29, 2024
Prosegue la mia masochistica immersione nei libri di self-empowerment ammerregani, inizio quasi a considerarla una piccola, innocente perversione.
Questo è fantastico nella sua paradossalità.
Centrato sulla meditazione, sulla mindfulness, ci si aspetterebbe una manta spirituale fatto di rilassamento e pace interiore. Nah! Troppo facile. Lo scopo della mindfulness è avere più energie per essere sempre un secondo davanti agli altri. Smettere di correre per correre più veloci. Oh, va bene, per carità. Tutto si può fare.
Ma mi ha messo ansia verso pagina venti e da lì in poi l'ho letto a spizzichi e bocconi. Infatti ci ho messo un anno e mezzo e quindi, ora come ora, mi sento indietro a tutti di 50 milioni di secondi circa. Che per chi non lo sapesse sono, appunto, un po' più di un anno e mezzo. Vedi a volte...
Questo è fantastico nella sua paradossalità.
Centrato sulla meditazione, sulla mindfulness, ci si aspetterebbe una manta spirituale fatto di rilassamento e pace interiore. Nah! Troppo facile. Lo scopo della mindfulness è avere più energie per essere sempre un secondo davanti agli altri. Smettere di correre per correre più veloci. Oh, va bene, per carità. Tutto si può fare.
Ma mi ha messo ansia verso pagina venti e da lì in poi l'ho letto a spizzichi e bocconi. Infatti ci ho messo un anno e mezzo e quindi, ora come ora, mi sento indietro a tutti di 50 milioni di secondi circa. Che per chi non lo sapesse sono, appunto, un po' più di un anno e mezzo. Vedi a volte...
July 11, 2019
If you are anything but a beginner in mindfulness and how it can support in you being a better leader, this read offers very little new concepts. It’s very basic. For beginners, then probably very useful as it is very practical.
July 21, 2017
"The goal of the meditation is not to eliminate distractions; it is to notice them and redirect your focus to something else."
September 19, 2025
Nothing new - I have some apparent thoughts about how the topic was approached though
Thoughts:
- blha blah hectic pace diminishes productivity and creativity, causing many professionals to feel scattered and overwhelmed. - so somehow the solution is mindfulness instead of companies improving their systems and culture? cool.
- This short pause gave him the ability to decide his reactions consciously, instead of falling into automatic responses (so it's temporary so why isn't it spoken about as a temp solution and that the onus of the problem is on organisations and not on the employees)
Favourite quotes:
- Imagine life as a game where you’re juggling five balls in the air. The five balls are work, family, health, friends, and happiness. You’ll soon find out that your work is a rubber ball; if you drop it, it bounces back into your hands. But the other four balls are made of glass. If you drop any of them, they’ll be forever damaged, broken, or completely destroyed.
- Real planning requires slowing down, so that you can speed up. It’s an investment in time up front that has significant payback down the road.
- By consistently practicing these techniques, you strengthen your ability to remain engaged with the task at hand, reducing the natural tendency of the mind to wander. (right so its less about wellbeing and more about we want you to focus better at work be a better worker ffs)
Notes:
- By staying aware of your own emotional state, you can respond to difficult situations with calmness and clarity, instead of reacting out of frustration or anger.
Thoughts:
- blha blah hectic pace diminishes productivity and creativity, causing many professionals to feel scattered and overwhelmed. - so somehow the solution is mindfulness instead of companies improving their systems and culture? cool.
- This short pause gave him the ability to decide his reactions consciously, instead of falling into automatic responses (so it's temporary so why isn't it spoken about as a temp solution and that the onus of the problem is on organisations and not on the employees)
Favourite quotes:
- Imagine life as a game where you’re juggling five balls in the air. The five balls are work, family, health, friends, and happiness. You’ll soon find out that your work is a rubber ball; if you drop it, it bounces back into your hands. But the other four balls are made of glass. If you drop any of them, they’ll be forever damaged, broken, or completely destroyed.
- Real planning requires slowing down, so that you can speed up. It’s an investment in time up front that has significant payback down the road.
- By consistently practicing these techniques, you strengthen your ability to remain engaged with the task at hand, reducing the natural tendency of the mind to wander. (right so its less about wellbeing and more about we want you to focus better at work be a better worker ffs)
Notes:
- By staying aware of your own emotional state, you can respond to difficult situations with calmness and clarity, instead of reacting out of frustration or anger.
October 18, 2024
The book "One Second Ahead: Enhance Your Performance at Work with Mindfulness" by Rasmus Hougaard, Jacqueline Carter, and Gillian Coutts highlights the transformative potential of mindfulness in improving focus, productivity, and overall well-being within the corporate world. Drawing on personal experiences and real-life examples, the authors explore how mindfulness techniques can be seamlessly integrated into the daily grind of modern work life, offering a pathway to navigate the overwhelming demands and distractions many professionals face.
The book begins with a recounting of Rasmus Hougaard's early experiences in attempting to introduce mindfulness to a European professional services company in 2005, where the failure to connect with the team highlighted a key issue: personal mindfulness practices, while beneficial, needed to be adapted to suit the corporate environment. Hougaard’s experience underscores how the modern workplace—dominated by distractions, constant emails, meetings, and the pressure to multitask—diminishes productivity and creativity. This realization became the basis for his mission to connect mindfulness with the specific challenges of today’s professionals.
The book introduces mindfulness as a way to address these issues, beginning with basic techniques that teach the reader how to become more present and focused throughout the workday. By practicing mindfulness, individuals can rewire their brains, replacing negative, automatic thought patterns with more constructive habits. This practice, the authors explain, is not just about surviving the workday, but also about thriving within it, allowing professionals to regain clarity, efficiency, and a sense of purpose.
An illustrative example is provided through the story of Jacob, a senior manager in a European financial services company who was overwhelmed by his responsibilities. Mindfulness helped Jacob find a "pause" between stimulus and response, enabling him to choose his reactions thoughtfully rather than reflexively. This ability to pause before reacting is the foundation of mindfulness, providing a mental space where individuals can engage in deliberate, intentional action. For Jacob, this led to a calmer, more controlled approach to work, even in high-stress situations, which improved both his performance and his emotional well-being.
The book goes on to explore how mindfulness can be used to manage daily tasks more effectively. In today’s hectic workplace, where professionals often feel buried under a constant stream of emails and back-to-back meetings, mindfulness offers a reprieve. Techniques like setting specific times to check emails, turning off notifications, and taking mindful breaks can help reclaim a sense of control and calm, leading to increased efficiency. Meetings, too, can benefit from mindfulness. By being fully present and engaged, professionals can contribute more meaningfully and foster better working relationships. Mindful reflection allows individuals to prioritize tasks effectively, reducing stress and making the workday more manageable.
Beyond productivity, the authors delve into how mindfulness can foster creativity and adaptability, essential traits in today’s fast-paced work environments. The story of Mary Ann, a director in the advertising industry, illustrates how mindfulness helped her team navigate the pressure to consistently generate creative ideas. By managing their attention and creating internal guidelines for focused work time, the team was able to enhance creativity and produce better work. Mindfulness, as the authors point out, calms the mind, allowing for deeper creative insights and enabling individuals to respond more effectively to change.
The book also addresses the role of mindfulness in improving communication and collaboration in the workplace. Mindful communication—listening attentively, responding thoughtfully, and remaining emotionally balanced—leads to more meaningful interactions with colleagues. This practice not only reduces misunderstandings but also fosters a collaborative, supportive work environment. The story of Dominic, who introduced mindfulness to improve teamwork at his company, highlights how mindfulness can help teams become more considerate and focused, ultimately improving both individual and collective performance.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is another key theme in the book. Mindfulness helps professionals set clear boundaries between work and personal life, preventing work from dominating every aspect of their existence. Lucy’s story demonstrates how mindfulness allowed her to recognize the impact her constant work connection had on her personal relationships, prompting her to make changes that restored balance. By being mindful of time and energy, professionals can immerse themselves fully in both their work and personal lives, preventing burnout and promoting long-term productivity.
In the final sections, the authors explore advanced mindfulness strategies for cultivating presence and mental resilience. These techniques are crucial for maintaining calm and clarity in the face of stress and challenges. Thomas’s story, in which he had to manage layoffs while maintaining his emotional balance, shows how mindfulness can help individuals observe their emotions without being overwhelmed by them. This practice fosters resilience, enabling professionals to approach difficult situations with a clear, focused mind, leading to better outcomes both personally and professionally.
In conclusion, "One Second Ahead" provides a comprehensive guide to integrating mindfulness into the workplace. Through real-world examples and practical techniques, the authors demonstrate how mindfulness can enhance focus, creativity, communication, and overall well-being. Whether dealing with daily tasks, managing stress, or striving for a better work-life balance, mindfulness offers a powerful tool for professionals seeking to improve their performance and satisfaction at work. By practicing mindfulness, individuals can regain control over their attention, foster deeper connections with their colleagues, and create a more balanced, fulfilling work life.
The book begins with a recounting of Rasmus Hougaard's early experiences in attempting to introduce mindfulness to a European professional services company in 2005, where the failure to connect with the team highlighted a key issue: personal mindfulness practices, while beneficial, needed to be adapted to suit the corporate environment. Hougaard’s experience underscores how the modern workplace—dominated by distractions, constant emails, meetings, and the pressure to multitask—diminishes productivity and creativity. This realization became the basis for his mission to connect mindfulness with the specific challenges of today’s professionals.
The book introduces mindfulness as a way to address these issues, beginning with basic techniques that teach the reader how to become more present and focused throughout the workday. By practicing mindfulness, individuals can rewire their brains, replacing negative, automatic thought patterns with more constructive habits. This practice, the authors explain, is not just about surviving the workday, but also about thriving within it, allowing professionals to regain clarity, efficiency, and a sense of purpose.
An illustrative example is provided through the story of Jacob, a senior manager in a European financial services company who was overwhelmed by his responsibilities. Mindfulness helped Jacob find a "pause" between stimulus and response, enabling him to choose his reactions thoughtfully rather than reflexively. This ability to pause before reacting is the foundation of mindfulness, providing a mental space where individuals can engage in deliberate, intentional action. For Jacob, this led to a calmer, more controlled approach to work, even in high-stress situations, which improved both his performance and his emotional well-being.
The book goes on to explore how mindfulness can be used to manage daily tasks more effectively. In today’s hectic workplace, where professionals often feel buried under a constant stream of emails and back-to-back meetings, mindfulness offers a reprieve. Techniques like setting specific times to check emails, turning off notifications, and taking mindful breaks can help reclaim a sense of control and calm, leading to increased efficiency. Meetings, too, can benefit from mindfulness. By being fully present and engaged, professionals can contribute more meaningfully and foster better working relationships. Mindful reflection allows individuals to prioritize tasks effectively, reducing stress and making the workday more manageable.
Beyond productivity, the authors delve into how mindfulness can foster creativity and adaptability, essential traits in today’s fast-paced work environments. The story of Mary Ann, a director in the advertising industry, illustrates how mindfulness helped her team navigate the pressure to consistently generate creative ideas. By managing their attention and creating internal guidelines for focused work time, the team was able to enhance creativity and produce better work. Mindfulness, as the authors point out, calms the mind, allowing for deeper creative insights and enabling individuals to respond more effectively to change.
The book also addresses the role of mindfulness in improving communication and collaboration in the workplace. Mindful communication—listening attentively, responding thoughtfully, and remaining emotionally balanced—leads to more meaningful interactions with colleagues. This practice not only reduces misunderstandings but also fosters a collaborative, supportive work environment. The story of Dominic, who introduced mindfulness to improve teamwork at his company, highlights how mindfulness can help teams become more considerate and focused, ultimately improving both individual and collective performance.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is another key theme in the book. Mindfulness helps professionals set clear boundaries between work and personal life, preventing work from dominating every aspect of their existence. Lucy’s story demonstrates how mindfulness allowed her to recognize the impact her constant work connection had on her personal relationships, prompting her to make changes that restored balance. By being mindful of time and energy, professionals can immerse themselves fully in both their work and personal lives, preventing burnout and promoting long-term productivity.
In the final sections, the authors explore advanced mindfulness strategies for cultivating presence and mental resilience. These techniques are crucial for maintaining calm and clarity in the face of stress and challenges. Thomas’s story, in which he had to manage layoffs while maintaining his emotional balance, shows how mindfulness can help individuals observe their emotions without being overwhelmed by them. This practice fosters resilience, enabling professionals to approach difficult situations with a clear, focused mind, leading to better outcomes both personally and professionally.
In conclusion, "One Second Ahead" provides a comprehensive guide to integrating mindfulness into the workplace. Through real-world examples and practical techniques, the authors demonstrate how mindfulness can enhance focus, creativity, communication, and overall well-being. Whether dealing with daily tasks, managing stress, or striving for a better work-life balance, mindfulness offers a powerful tool for professionals seeking to improve their performance and satisfaction at work. By practicing mindfulness, individuals can regain control over their attention, foster deeper connections with their colleagues, and create a more balanced, fulfilling work life.
October 18, 2024
One Second Ahead by Rasmus Hugard, Jacqueline Carter and Gillian Kautz, you've learned that mindfulness can be a powerful tool to enhance focus, productivity and well-being in the workplace. Mindfulness practice helps carve out mental space, enabling you to respond thoughtfully rather than react automatically, which enhances decision-making and alleviates stress. Techniques such as focused breathing, mindful communication and structured breaks help you manage daily tasks more efficiently while fostering creativity and adaptability. Mindfulness also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
By setting clear boundaries and integrating mindful practices into your routine, you can prevent burnout and sustain long-term productivity. Additionally, cultivating presence and mental resilience enables you to navigate challenges with a calm and centered mind. To start benefiting from mindfulness right now, incorporate small, regular mindfulness practices into your daily work routine. This will gradually transform how you work and live, enhancing your overall quality of life.
By setting clear boundaries and integrating mindful practices into your routine, you can prevent burnout and sustain long-term productivity. Additionally, cultivating presence and mental resilience enables you to navigate challenges with a calm and centered mind. To start benefiting from mindfulness right now, incorporate small, regular mindfulness practices into your daily work routine. This will gradually transform how you work and live, enhancing your overall quality of life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2024
Summary:
The mindfulness can be a powerful tool to enhance focus, productivity and well-being in the workplace. Mindfulness practice helps carve out mental space, enabling you to respond thoughtfully rather than react automatically, which enhances decision-making and alleviates stress. Techniques such as focused breathing, mindful communication and structured breaks help you manage daily tasks more efficiently while fostering creativity and adaptability. Mindfulness also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. By setting clear boundaries and integrating mindful practices into your routine, you can prevent burnout and sustain long-term productivity. Additionally, cultivating presence and mental resilience enables you to navigate challenges with a calm and centered mind. To start benefiting from mindfulness right now, incorporate small, regular mindfulness practices into your daily work routine. This will gradually transform how you work and live, enhancing your overall quality of life.
The mindfulness can be a powerful tool to enhance focus, productivity and well-being in the workplace. Mindfulness practice helps carve out mental space, enabling you to respond thoughtfully rather than react automatically, which enhances decision-making and alleviates stress. Techniques such as focused breathing, mindful communication and structured breaks help you manage daily tasks more efficiently while fostering creativity and adaptability. Mindfulness also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. By setting clear boundaries and integrating mindful practices into your routine, you can prevent burnout and sustain long-term productivity. Additionally, cultivating presence and mental resilience enables you to navigate challenges with a calm and centered mind. To start benefiting from mindfulness right now, incorporate small, regular mindfulness practices into your daily work routine. This will gradually transform how you work and live, enhancing your overall quality of life.
October 25, 2018
Although mindfulness is a difficult skill to cultivate, it can yield value in the workplace. Although Americans take pride in “multitasking,” the truth is that our brains can only fully focus on one thing at a time. This will help you at work because you can better focus on your attention in the area where it is most needed at that moment. There are two rules of mental effectiveness: Focus on what you choose and choose your distractions mindfully. Mindfulness not only helps you focus better, it can help you to ignore distractions so that you can get more work completed. The author provides a method for remembering the mindfulness aspects of ABCD. A is for anatomy (posture); B is for breathing; C is for counting; and D is for distractions.
January 28, 2019
I gave it 5 stars for the way the author organized and presented the key concepts of mindfulness within organizational setting in this book. Simple, concrete, well structured and followed by practical techniques, it is actually what I needed at this moment so I could organize and put in a schematic order in my head the basics of Mindfulness in general. Although some schemes like the Matrix of mental effectiveness were too confusing and difficult to integrate with my understanding and knowledge about mindfulness, despite its obvious simplicity, but I found the idea of simplifying the mindfulness definition in this way very useful for organizational context.
October 1, 2017
Kirja täynnä hyvää asiaa, mutta pelkästään kirjaa lukemalla olisi ollut vaikea saada mitään irti. Kävin samalla Potential Projectin Focus Trainingin, ja sen tukena sekä muistin virkistäjänä kirja on oivallinen. Nyt kurssin loputtua, jos haluaa jatkaa mindfulness-harjoituksia ja muita tekniikoita, kirjasta on varmasti paljon apua.
Kirja sinänsä oli vähän kuiva ja väritön, kuvat ja kaaviot (silloin harvoin kuin niitä oli) naiivin yksinkertaisia. Kirjasta olisi voinut saada paljon mielenkiintoisemmankin. Hyvää oli, että rakenne oli yritetty pitää kutakuinkin strukturoituna ja loogisena.
Kirja sinänsä oli vähän kuiva ja väritön, kuvat ja kaaviot (silloin harvoin kuin niitä oli) naiivin yksinkertaisia. Kirjasta olisi voinut saada paljon mielenkiintoisemmankin. Hyvää oli, että rakenne oli yritetty pitää kutakuinkin strukturoituna ja loogisena.
September 12, 2025
Voorsprong door focus.
Het komt allemaal door mindfulness.
Geen afleiding maar zijn in het zijn waar je nu bent.
Rustig ademhalen en overzien.
Dit boek heeft daarvoor praktische tips.
Technieken voor op de werkplek.
Emails vergaderingen doelen prioriteiten communicatie eten en energie.
Mentale strategieen de kracht van aanwezigheid geduld beginnersbrein vreugde balans
Basisoefeningen
SCherpe focus trainen
Open bewustzijn trainen
Je leven onder controle krijgen verdere stappen
Het komt allemaal door mindfulness.
Geen afleiding maar zijn in het zijn waar je nu bent.
Rustig ademhalen en overzien.
Dit boek heeft daarvoor praktische tips.
Technieken voor op de werkplek.
Emails vergaderingen doelen prioriteiten communicatie eten en energie.
Mentale strategieen de kracht van aanwezigheid geduld beginnersbrein vreugde balans
Basisoefeningen
SCherpe focus trainen
Open bewustzijn trainen
Je leven onder controle krijgen verdere stappen
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2022
Es bueno para principiantes en mindfulness, dando un buen pantallazo sobre los principales conceptos y beneficios de la práctica. Sin embargo, esperaba algo más relacionado a cómo implementar esta práctica en una organización y para un equipo. Si bien da algunos tips, muchos de ellos son bastante generales o poco realistas.
November 25, 2022
If you feel like you're working so hard but your effort is not amounting to anything, recommend this book. This book let me know that I'd been mindless in every morning checking emails. As the author nicely put, I was 'addicted to actions.'
September 6, 2017
Reading this book is easy but the practice is hard. The book offers practical tips to apply mindfulness in your life.
March 2, 2018
A bit to overly simplistic
Like training wheels for mindfulness. Probably a good book for those just beginning to explore mindfulness without much previous foundation.
Like training wheels for mindfulness. Probably a good book for those just beginning to explore mindfulness without much previous foundation.
May 2, 2018
Excelentes técnicas para la administración de tu tiempo, ejercicios para concentrarse y ser mas eficiente
July 20, 2018
Interesante
Maneja conceptos conocidos con un enfoque novedoso, Vale la pena comprometerse con el programa y experimentar los resultados de forma personal.
Maneja conceptos conocidos con un enfoque novedoso, Vale la pena comprometerse con el programa y experimentar los resultados de forma personal.
December 31, 2018
Me pareció un libro con ideas muy prácticas para ser aplicadas en el contexto laboral.
May 15, 2019
Great resource but a bit on the verbose side
Great resource but a bit on the verbose side - I wish there were a shorter guide to just the methods and techniques from this book.
Great resource but a bit on the verbose side - I wish there were a shorter guide to just the methods and techniques from this book.
Want to read
June 11, 2019Anbefalet i LEGO Mindfulness kurset
February 24, 2020
Fantastic book, even for those who are familiar with mindfulness. A great reminder of what is it about.
July 11, 2021
Surely recommend!
Great book!! Easy to read and rich. A lot to learn from. The content is coherent and consistent, very well organized.
Great book!! Easy to read and rich. A lot to learn from. The content is coherent and consistent, very well organized.
October 18, 2024
Too American centric, it does not consider, the no-verbal language and intercultural peculiarities.
February 23, 2024
Libro puede ser leído en etapas o por necesidad de intereses, podrías solo leer sobre mindfullness o ver solo la parte del beneficio en el trabajo/vida del mimdfullness. Sobre esto último muy interesante la metodología que se usa y detallan bien las ventajas de no dejarte llevar por los pensamientos o reacciones primarias/defensivas/ etc. Un segundo de ventaja, un stop antes de hacer o decir es de mucha ayuda; y sobre todo preparar el cuerpo y la mente a tener esa disciplina que además te llena de mergos para el día dándote claridad.
November 17, 2015
The premise of One Second Ahead is an interesting one: the practice of mindfulness can create a one-second delay between action and reaction, thus allowing you to move from impulsive behavior to rational choice. This one-second delay, writer Rasmus Hougaard argues, can create a ‘competitive difference’ and enhance your performance at work and in your personal life.
This book lists a loooooong list of areas where mindfulness can make a positive difference and gives practical steps for each, ranging from handling emails, to creativity, communication, and sleep. It also discusses 8 mental strategies to achieve positive traits like patience, joy, and the art of letting go.
The whole book is based upon two techniques: training sharp focus (the ability to concentrate on thoughts and tasks of your choice) and open awareness (the ability to observe your own mind). Both are practiced by breathing and focus techniques, with a recommended daily practice of at least 10 minutes. The book gives specific instructions and tips on how to practice these.
Of course, as Christians, practices like mindfulness can give us a severe case of the heebie-jeebies. And while I’m fairly open and definitely not a member of the behind-every-technique-is-a-new-age-conspiracy, this book is at times a bit too much on the vague and floating side for me.
When the author discusses an insight that ‘everything is potential’, he states for instance that we have no solid, isolated self and that we are not as clearly defined as we think. I get what he means—it’s an antidote to limiting ourselves by defining ourselves in too confining terms—yet I disagree with that description, as my identity and self is deeply defined as a child of God.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m convinced of the benefits of mindfulness, which after all comes down to trained, focused attention. As the writer rightly argues, we live in a world where we’re constantly distracted by a bombardment of signals and messages. The trained ability to focus on what matters is indeed a powerful tool, both at work and at home.
That being said, my biggest issue with this book is that it tries to be too broad and becomes at the same time too general and too repetitive. After reading through ten areas where mindfulness can make a difference, you go like I get the message-let’s move on. But after that, there were six more areas, plus eight ‘mental strategies. The fuzzy structure of the book in that sense didn’t help either—like being presented with literally dozens of areas and tips before actually getting to the techniques needed to get there.
The ‘too general’ aspect also became clear in the stories and cases of people who had positive experiences with mindfulness—they weren’t fleshed out enough. When someone is introduced as ‘Lene, who worked in a European services organization’ I don’t have enough info or details to get into her story, to create an emotional connection. None of the people felt real to me, and as a result, I never connected emotionally with what the writer was arguing.
To conclude, I do believe One Second Ahead has an interesting and valid premise, and it does contain tons of practical tips, but it’s not worked out in the most captivating way.
This book lists a loooooong list of areas where mindfulness can make a positive difference and gives practical steps for each, ranging from handling emails, to creativity, communication, and sleep. It also discusses 8 mental strategies to achieve positive traits like patience, joy, and the art of letting go.
The whole book is based upon two techniques: training sharp focus (the ability to concentrate on thoughts and tasks of your choice) and open awareness (the ability to observe your own mind). Both are practiced by breathing and focus techniques, with a recommended daily practice of at least 10 minutes. The book gives specific instructions and tips on how to practice these.
Of course, as Christians, practices like mindfulness can give us a severe case of the heebie-jeebies. And while I’m fairly open and definitely not a member of the behind-every-technique-is-a-new-age-conspiracy, this book is at times a bit too much on the vague and floating side for me.
When the author discusses an insight that ‘everything is potential’, he states for instance that we have no solid, isolated self and that we are not as clearly defined as we think. I get what he means—it’s an antidote to limiting ourselves by defining ourselves in too confining terms—yet I disagree with that description, as my identity and self is deeply defined as a child of God.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m convinced of the benefits of mindfulness, which after all comes down to trained, focused attention. As the writer rightly argues, we live in a world where we’re constantly distracted by a bombardment of signals and messages. The trained ability to focus on what matters is indeed a powerful tool, both at work and at home.
That being said, my biggest issue with this book is that it tries to be too broad and becomes at the same time too general and too repetitive. After reading through ten areas where mindfulness can make a difference, you go like I get the message-let’s move on. But after that, there were six more areas, plus eight ‘mental strategies. The fuzzy structure of the book in that sense didn’t help either—like being presented with literally dozens of areas and tips before actually getting to the techniques needed to get there.
The ‘too general’ aspect also became clear in the stories and cases of people who had positive experiences with mindfulness—they weren’t fleshed out enough. When someone is introduced as ‘Lene, who worked in a European services organization’ I don’t have enough info or details to get into her story, to create an emotional connection. None of the people felt real to me, and as a result, I never connected emotionally with what the writer was arguing.
To conclude, I do believe One Second Ahead has an interesting and valid premise, and it does contain tons of practical tips, but it’s not worked out in the most captivating way.
did-not-finish
September 1, 2018DNF about halfway through. It's not bad, and it's not a difficult read. It's just okay, and feels like it could've summarized everything into a short handout. I've been dipping into it here and there during lunch breaks at work, and have just decided to call a DNF on this one and move on.
Started June 14, 2018. Marked DNF September 1, 2018.
Started June 14, 2018. Marked DNF September 1, 2018.
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